josephine ferris

From the moment she stepped into a gym at just two years old, gymnastics became an essential part of her identity. But at 15, everything changed. She woke up one morning in excruciating ba

ck pain and soon learned she had herniated two discs, an injury that would force her to stop doing the sport she loved most.

While the loss was deeply challenging, she discovered something powerful in the process: “Making the best of what you have is imperative to a happy life,” she shares.

Now, as she prepares to begin a new chapter at Virginia Tech, she carries that mindset forward with gratitude, and with the support of the A Breath for Alessandra award. “It truly wouldn’t be possible without this scholarship,” she says. “Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen - it means so much to me.”